For many years sport fishermen have used various types of compartmentalized boxes and other apparatus for storing fishing articles, including flies, tippet, leader, weights, reels, tools, lures, and lines to name a few. Such devices and boxes are generally constructed of metal or a rigid plastic material and have hinged lids that open to reveal an array of compartments generally formed in trays and which receive the lures, leaders and weights. A larger storage compartment is generally provided underneath the trays for storing larger items such as reels and the like. These tackle boxes suffer from numerous drawbacks, including their generally large size and lack of adjustability or compressibility. If such devices accidentally fall into a body of water, they quickly sink or remain buoyant only so long as no water has entered the interior of the tackle box. While fishing, the tackle box must be left open in order to display the tackle to the fisherman. Thus, if the tackle box is accidentally dropped into a river or lake, the tackle as well as the box is often times irretrievable. Also, a large struggling fish landed by the fisherman can readily upset a tackle box and spill its contents.
Other types of fishing tackle storage apparatus, designed generally to hold only lures and hooks, have been developed. One such apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,511 to Slacter, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Slacter discloses a lure box having a block of elastomeric material into which the hooks of fishing lures are removably inserted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,073 to Goldman, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a tackle storage apparatus with a lure mounting pad. Various features of Goldman, including lure mounting features, are contemplated for use in various embodiments of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,469 to Alsobrook et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a system and method of managing fishing tackle. Various features of Alsobrook, including pocket systems as shown and described herein, are contemplated for use in various embodiments of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,076,912 to Burdette et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a fly pack apparatus comprising an openable drum. Various features of Burdette, including fastening features, are contemplated for use with various embodiments of the present invention.